Karnataka: Sugarcane farmer commits suicide in Belgaum

Belgaum (

), Nov 27: A sugarcane

consumed pesticide in front of the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belgaum on Wednesday afternoon. He was admitted to KLE Hospital where he died later.

The deceased was identified as, Vittal Arabhavi, 50, a resident of Kankanwadi village in Raibhag Taluk of Belgaum district.

But why did he took the drastic step?

Arabhavi had reportedly sold 120 tons of sugar to a company owned by Murugesh Nirani, a former minister but the farmers alleged that he had received just a partial payment. His family comprising three daughters and two sons was facing hardships as a result.

Nirani, however, denied the allegations, saying that the farmer had sold only half of his produce and hence a partial payment had been made.

Sugarcane farmers from across Karnataka have been demanding a raise in the minimum support price for sugarcane.

Former chief ministers D V Sadananda Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy have slammed the state government for neglecting the farmers. The former also urged the govt to give Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the family of the deceased. Another former chief minister Jagadish Shettar also sought the resignation of current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

OneIndia News